Wyndham delivers 37-0 wake-up call

Casey Robertson
Casey Robertson
Wyndham has made its loudest statement yet in Southland’s Division One competition. However, coach Casey Robertson was trying to keep a lid on Saturday’s stunning performance.

Wyndham crushed previous competition leader Midlands 37-0, as the Eastern Southland club’s stocks rise in the Division One competition while Midlands’ wobbles continued.

Midlands won its first seven games of the season and was the talk of the competition. However, it has lost its  past three outings and  the loss on Saturday at Wyndham was the most alarming.

Robertson, a former Black Fern No8, was pleased with how her team was developing.

But she said there would still need to be more improvement if it was  to be a genuine title threat this season.

"Midlands were obviously missing some key players," she said.

"Both McKercher boys were out, so that is their first and second five.

"We had a bit of a slow start to the season but the last few weeks we have started to come right.

"We will have to keep building."

All four Division One games produced 30-plus margins on Saturday, which included Waikaka grabbing the top spot in the competition standings.

After dropping its first two games of the season, Waikaka has won eight on the trot, the latest a 38-7 win over Te Anau.

Riversdale also looms as a real threat after again impressing on Saturday with a 36-5 win over Mossburn.As expected, Edendale was able to pick up a 33-7 win over Waiau Star.

Saturday marked the start of the next phase of Southland’s Division Two competition,  where the top six teams have united in the top grade and the bottom six teams in a different grade. In the top division, leading teams Blues and Albion-Excelsior squared off in an intriguing battle and it was the Invercargill-based club, Blues, who claimed the bragging rights with a 20-17 victory.

Star travelled across town in Invercargill to pick up a 57-21 win over Waikiwi, while in the other Division Two Section A fixture, Pioneer ran out 48-24 victor against Wakatipu.

In section B, Marist picked up a 44-22 win over Drummond-Limehills-Star and Riverton pipped Tokanui 34-31. Otautau and Collegiate’s 2018 seasons are playing out in vastly different circumstances and that showed in Division Three action on Saturday.

The unbeaten Otautau, which has mustered a strong squad, ran out 92-0 winner over a Collegiate team which is yet to win a game this season and is  struggling for playing numbers.

Mataura again impressed in its  31-0 win over Balfour-Lumsden, while Ohai-Nightcaps scored a 39-19 win over Bush Pirates in the third Division Three fixture.

- Logan Savory

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